Draw-leaf table



2 Sheets-Sheet l F. B WALTER DRAW LEAF TABLE Filed Oct. 29,

INVENTOR. Frederick E. Wd/Zez;

nw www July 4, 1933.

A TTORNEYS F. B. WALTER DRAW LEAF TABLE July 4, 1933.

Filed Oct. 29, 1930 2, Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Frederic/s 5 W2? ital;

2 i fi.

A TTORNEYS Patented July 4, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FREDERICK B. WALTER, or WABASH, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR' To B. WALTER & COMPANY, INC., on wnnnsn, INDIANA, A CORPORATION or INDIANA DRAW-LEAF TABLE The object of my invention is to produce an inexpensive, efiicient table of the slidingleaf, fixed-main-top type, the invention residing more particularly in the details of construction of the slide-structure which supports the sliding-leaf.

The accompanying drawings illustrate my invention.

Fig. 1 is a vertical section of a table embodying my invention, with a sliding-leaf in storage position, the other sliding leaf structure being omitted for clearness of illustration; 7 1

Fig. 2 a similar section with the leaf in an intermediate position;

Fig. 3 a similar section with the leaf in extended position;

Fig. 4 a side elevation of the table with the leaves in storage position;

F ig. 5 a fragmentary vertical section just outside one of the end aprons of. the table frame;

Fig. 6 a perspective of one of the leaf-supporting slides, and

Fig. 7 a perspective of the under side of the inner end of one of the slide bars.

In the drawings, 10, 10 indicate the side aprons and 11, 11 the end aprons of a table frame supported by legs 12, 12. The side aprons are higher at their middles by an amount slightly greater than the thickness of the extension leaves and the main top 13 is rigidly secured to these high parts of the end aprons, projecting over-the outer ends to form spaces or pockets 1 1 within which the extension leaves may be stored. It will be understood that, if only one extension leaf is desired, the end aprons will have high portions extending clear to one end thereof.

The extension leaf 15 is rigidly secured to two spacedslide bars 16, 16, each of which is slidably mounted in a notch 17 formed inthe upperedge of an end apron. Each slide'bar is also-"sildable through aclip or v guide 19, secured to the] under face of the of said'inner end.-

It is desired that, during initial outward movement of the slide bar until the inner edge of theextension leaf has been drawn out nearly to the adjacent outer edge of the main top, the movement of the slide bar shall be substantially horizontal and in its storage plane and the further outward sliding of the slide bar. shall raise the inner end of said bar to a plane where later the inner end of the slide bar will assist in firmly supporting the extension leaf in the plane of-the main top. 7

For this purpose, and in order I to reduce manufacturing cost without sacrificing strength or elfieiency,the main length of the slide bar .is of usual over-all width and thickness and at its inner end is reduced in thickness (vertical dimension) as indicated at 20. i In the under face of bar 16, at the inner end, I form a groove 21 in which is secured, by screw 22, a wedge-shaped piece 23, the tip of which lies within groove 21 so as to be protected against breakage. The inclined surface 24 of piece 23 joins the surface 25 which is preferably parallel with the under face of the main length of bar 16. The inclined surface 24 is so arrangedrelative to the inclined portion of the upper face of bar 16 that, as the bar is drawn outwardly through clip 19 the inner end of the bar will be raised approximately the thickness of the extension leaf just before the inner edge of the extension leaf reaches the vertical plane of the adjacent edge of the main top 13. By this construction it is possible to construct the slide bar with less waste of lumber without sacrificing strength or durability.

Each notch 17 is partially overlaid by the projecting end of a plate 30 secured to the upper edge of the apron and eachslide bar is rabbeted, at 31, from its outer end to a pocket 32 formed in one side of the bar, for the reception of said projected end-of plate 30.

Arranged in pocket 32 is a ledge-piece 33 which may be traversed beneath and overthe projecting end of plate 30. The ledge-plece may be integral with the bar, but, for reasons which will appear, I prefer the shallow metal cup-like piece shown in the drawings. This piece 33 is pivotally-supported at one end on screw 34 and at the other end on an eccentric disk 35 nested in the piece 33. A screw 36 fits and passes through an eccentric perforation in disk 35, and through a larger perforation 33 in piece 33, and into the body of the slide bar. Disk 35 is provided with an elon gated slot 37 to receive a screw-driver to facilitate angular positioning of the disk. The periphery of disk 35 contacts the opposite side walls of the piece 33.

It has been found, in practice, that if the ledge-piece 33 lies directly upon the wood of the slide bar difficulty is experienced in accurately assembling the parts to insure proper alignment of the extension-leaf and main top, and difficulty in firmly holding the ledge piece in adjusted position throughout the life of the table.

In order to avoid these difficulties I provide the metal base-strip 40 perforated to receive screws 34 and 36 and seated in a subpocket 4l formed in the bottom of pocket 32 and just the length of strip 40 so that said strip is automatically positioned in the length of the slide bar.

Pivoted on a screw 42, which passes through strip 40, is a spring catch 43 having a finger 44 normally urged toward the under face of ledge 33 by spring 45, said catch cooperating with plate 30, when ledge 33 is resting thereon, to hold the slide-bar against accidental displacement outwardly.

Catch 43 may beretracted by means of a finger piece 47, pivoted at 43 at the outer end of the slide bar, and connected with the catch by wire 49 which is nested in again or rabbet 50 formed in bar 16.

In order to prevent the projected end of plate 30 from ultimately breaking down the shoulder 32 of pocket 32 and thus interfering with ease and accuracy of operation of the slide bar, I provide the Lshaped guard plate 52 one arm of which guards shoulder 32' and the other arm of which rests upon strip 40 and is held in place by a screw 53 passed through strip 40 into the slide bar.

The ledge-andcatch assembly may be cheaply manufactured and it materially lessens the labor cost involved in accurate assembly with the slide bar.

When the extension leaf is in storage position the parts occupy the positions shown in Fig. 1. To extend the leaf to use position the operator pulls outwardly on the leaf until ledge-piece 33 is pulled under and just beyond plate 30 and guard-plate 52 contacts with said plate. During the latter part of this outward movement the two inclined surfaces 20 and 24 cooperate with clip 19 to positively raise the inner end of each slide bar. The operator then lifts the extension leaf into the plane of the main top and, the inner ends of the slide bars being held in their upper plane by surface 25 resting on clip 19, the ex- 44 where it is locked against accidental with- ,7

drawal.

. If the extension-leaf is not thus accurately positioned in the plane of the main top the desired accuracy of adjustment may be attained by loosening screw 36, placing a screwdriver in slot 37 shifting disk 35 until the outer end of ledge-piece 33 is properly adjusted vertically, and then tightening screw 36. It has been found in practice that while the clamping effect of screw 36 on piece 33 will hold said piece in adjusted position when the parts are new, yet the interposition of the eccentric disk insures a more permanent arrangement and greatly facilitates accurate adjustment of the ledge-piece.

The projected end of plate 3() lies well under ledge-piece 33 when the extension-leaf is in use position so that the leaf is not liable to he accidentally dropped except by a direct outward pull of material extent. The catch 43 may, therefore, be omitted, to save ex pense, if desired. I j

It will be noted that, when the extension leaf has been extended preparatory to being raised into the plane of the main top, the inner ends of the slide bars have been posi tively lifted the required amount for properly positively supporting the extension leaf in the upper plane and that in this position support is maintained as the leaf, after being lifted, is shoved inwardly to bring the inner edge of the leaf against the adjacent outer edge of the main top. It will also be noted that, while the leaf is being lifted to its upper plane, the extension leaf structure fulcrums on the inner ends of the slide bars when said inner ends are in their upper positions. These are important characteristics which contribute materially to the successful easy operation of the device and the firm support of the extension leaf accurately in the plane of the main top. I l

I claim asmy invention 1. A table comprising a main frame@ a main top secured to the main frame to form a leaf-receiving pocket between the main frame and an edgeof the main top, extension-leaf slide-bars slidably mounted in the main frame beneath the main top and carrying an extension-leaf nestable in said pocket, means supported beneath the main top for slidably supporting inner portions of the slide-bars in a low'pl'ane during initial outward movement of the extension leaf and for elevating the inner ends of said slide-bars during the final outward movement of said bars and for retaining said inner ends elevated during a portion of the return inward movement of the slide-bars sufficient to bring the inner edge of, the leaf closely adj acent the adjacent edge of the main top, a vertically-adjustable ledge carried by a slide bar at an intermediate point in its length, means for holding said ledge in adjusted position, and a member carried by the main frame and arranged to be traversed below and above by said ledge, said ledge resting upon said projection whenthe extension leaf is in the plane of the main top and closely adjacent an edge thereof.

2. An extension-leaf slide comprising a main body, a ledge-piece carried by said main body within the thickness thereof and arranged so that it may traverse, above and below, a projection carried by the main frame of a table, a portion of the main body forward of said ledge being so formed as to permit reception of said projection, and a withdrawable catch associated with the under-side of the ledge and adapted to coact with the main-frame projection.

I 3. An extension-leaf slide comprising a main body, a ledge-piece carried by said main body and arranged so that it may traverse,

above and below, a projection carried by the main frame of a table, a portion of the main body forward of said ledge being so formed as to permit reception of said projection, and a withdrawable catch associated with the under side of the ledge and adapted to coact with the main-frame projection. V

4. An extension-leaf slide comprising a main body, a ledge-piece mounted on one side of said main body, a pivotal support for one end of said ledge piece, a rotatably-adjustable cam supporting the other end of said ledge piece, and means by which said cam may be clamped in adjusted position.

5. An extension-leaf slide-bar comprising a main body, a metal base strip secured thereto at an intermediate point in its length, a ledge-piece mounted on said base strip, and means for clamping said ledge-piece on the base-strip in various positions of adjustment.

6. An extension-leaf slide-bar having the characteristics specified in claim 5, comprising a swingable cam frictionally engaging the ledge-piece vertically and horizontally, and a clamping pivot screw passing through the cam and ledge-piece and into the base strip.

'7. An extension-leaf slide-bar having the characteristics specified in claim 5 and comprising a catch mounted upon the base strip and associated with the under side of the ledge-piece.

8. An extension-leaf slide-bar comprising a main body having a pocket formed at an intermediate point in one vertical face and a rabbet leading thereinto from the forward end of the main body, a ledge-piece nested in said pocket with its inner end and lower edge spaced from adjacent walls of the pocket and its upper edge below said rabbet, a cam nested in the ledge-piece and engaging the same vertically and horizontally, a pivot pin passing through the ledge-piece and spaced from the cam, and a clamping screw passing through said cam and ledge-piece.

9. An extension-leaf slide-bar, having the inner end of its main body reduced in vertical dimension at its top and having a longitudinal groove formed in its under face, and a cam block secured in said groove, the inner thin end of the block having .a vertical dimension no greater than the depth of the groove.

10. A fitting for table slides comprising ,a base plate, a ledge-piece pivotally mounted on saidbase plate, means by which'said ledgepiece may be angularly adjusted about its pivot, and a latch mounted on the base plate and coacting withsaid ledge-piece.

11. A fitting for table slides comprising a base plate, a ledge-piece pivotally mounted on said base plate, an eccentric rotatably adjustable upon the base plate and engaging the ledge-piece to determine the adjustment of the ledge-piece about its pivot. v

12. A fitting for table slides comprising a base plate, a ledge-piece pivotally mounted on said base plate, an eccentric rotatably adjustable upon the base plate and engaging the ledge-piece to determine the adjustment of the ledge-piece about its pivot, and a latch mounted ont-he base plate and coacting with said ledge-piece.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Wabash, Indiana, this 24th day of October, A. D. one thousand nine hundred and thirty.

I FREDERICK B. WALTER. 

